Iran's president Raisi, FM die in helicopter incident: state media

This file photo taken on Aug. 29, 2023 shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran, Iran. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Xinhua/Shadati)

TEHRAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter incident, media reported Monday.

Iran's Mehr news agency confirmed the deaths, reporting that "all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred."

A hard landing due to the bad weather happened to the helicopter carrying Raisi and other senior officials in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan on Sunday.

Iran's state media said images show the helicopter crashed into a mountain peak.

This file photo taken on Aug. 29, 2023 shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran, Iran. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This file photo shows Ebrahim Raisi on Aug. 5, 2021. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Photo by Javad Salarheyli/Xinhua)

This file photo taken on June 18, 2021 shows Ebrahim Raisi speaking at a polling station in Tehran, Iran. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 19, 2024 shows a poster of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the footage of national Iranian television. Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Xinhua/Shadati)

People pray on a square in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2024. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's Foreign Minister died in a helicopter accident, according to local media. (Xinhua/Shadati)